Iran: Detained pastor assaulted

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has received reports that a jailed pastor from the Church of Iran denomination is suffering severely due to frequent assaults by fellow inmates.

According to CSW sources, Pastor Behnam Irani, who is currently serving a five year sentence in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, is being held in a cell with criminals who regularly beat him, and is now having difficulty walking due to injuries sustained during these assaults. CSW was also informed that during the first few months of his imprisonment, the pastor was held incommunicado in a small cell, where guards would repeatedly wake him from sleep as a form of psychological torture. He was moved into a cramped room where inmates could not lie down to sleep, before being transferred to his current cell.

This is not the first time Pastor Irani has been incarcerated. In April 2010 he was conducting a house church service, when he was assaulted and arrested. He was released on bail, and was tried on 16 January, 2011 on charges of apostasy and “action against the order”. The pastor was found guilty of the latter charge and was sentenced to one year in prison. Following a failed appeal, in May 2011 Pastor Irani was once again violently arrested and taken to jail to serve the one year term. Days before he was due to be released, the pastor was informed on 18 October 2011 that he would remain in prison to serve a suspended five year sentence for “action against national security” that had been handed down by a revolutionary court in 2007, and confirmed at appeal in 2008. The verdict includes text that describes Pastor Irani as an apostate and reiterates that apostates “can be killed”.

In the meantime, Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani continues to face a death sentence for apostasy. The case has twice been referred to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who has yet to issue a decision, and a final ruling is expected at anytime. However, CSW has received unconfirmed reports indicating that execution may be delayed for up to a year to allow time to convince the pastor to renounce his faith. During a recent debate in the House of Lords on Christians in the Middle East, the pastor’s plight was mentioned by three Parliamentarians.

In addition, following a trial in November 2011, another Church of Iran member, Alireza Seyyedian, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for “propagating against an order of the regime and acting against national security”. His lawyers have yet to receive written confirmation of the verdict, which was issued verbally.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “CSW is deeply concerned for the health and welfare of Pastor Irani, and urges the Iranian government to ensure that he, and all prisoners, are protected from assault, receive necessary medical attention, and are treated in accordance with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, as defined by the UN. It is also unacceptable that the Iranian regime continues to portray legitimate religious activities of minority faiths as a national security threat, and to subject people to unjust and lengthy prison terms on this basis. The international community must maintain pressure on Iran during the Christmas period and throughout next year to ensure that the rights of minority religious groups are respected, and to secure the acquittal and release of Pastor Nadarkhani and of all others unjustly imprisoned or facing execution due to flawed judicial processes.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Matthew Jones, Public Affairs Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 20 8329 0063, email matthewjones@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.